West-Central/ Central Illinois Report 5/15/25

The week in Central/ West Central Illinois again acted as a snapshot for the diverse story in Illinois as a whole.

Northern and eastern portions started the week off “nearly complete.” In some cases corn and beans in the Carthage, Quincy, Pittsfield, and Jacksonville area stood at nearly 90% planted.

East of Springfield, moving toward Decatur and Taylorville, corn began the week at better than 80% planted with beans anywhere from 60-75% planted.

The creep toward Route 16 saw a dramatically different story with a line from Shelbyville running up to Carlinville struggling to best 25% planted.

Spotty showers caused occasional delays but most of the area saw weather suited to make planting progress if soil conditions allowed.

Major points of concern for the week circled around crusted soils that cut into final stands and weed pressure breaking through pre-emerge chemistry.

The wheat crop began to head out in the area. The earliest beans passed second trifoliate, and some early corn fields began to near V5.

West Central & Central IL Report for the Week of May 5

Planting progress is a diverse story in this part of Illinois. As reported last week, the western/north western portion of the area is well ahead of the planting curve.

Areas around Pittsfield, Illinois are nearing 75% planted at the least, and areas around the Illinois River Bottoms stand at a very similar levels of progress (nearly 70%).

Progress is equally impressive toward the Jacksonville area.

A drive east or south tells a different story. The region around and south of Carlinville may struggle to hit 25% and areas south and east of Decatur would struggle to hit those totals as well.

Two-thirds of the planted soybean crop has emerged. A portion of that has hit the two trifoliate stage but most of that crop would be at the unifoliate to early trifoliate stage.

Waterhemp seedlings are evident in some fields, and where growers are able – they are double checking stands, seeing if their final stand matches their initial goal.

Conversations have often clustered around how fast beans have emerged this year, how wooly some fields have become and how welcome sunshine has been given a long stretch of overcast wet days.

The story in western and central Illinois seems to be a tale (once again) of two extremes. An abundance of progress in western Illinois row crops being planted (last week pushing 50-60% – this week much higher than that). Getting first trifoliates and thinking about second in some of the earliest planted fields (early being March planted and yes…. some February). Cut to the south east area, butting up towards Lake Shelbyville, and they finally were given a shot this week. Before that (end of last week), you would be lucky to say 10% in many areas. More rainfall as of mid-week, enough to have stalled any planting for a day or two. Cutworm concerns growing & wheat in the southern part of that area will be thinking about boot soon.